Isogu Futae
by Kurmoi
Summary: Kasumi is still running, still searching for things that will make her soul, her being complete. With the unexpected arrival of a long lost guardian, will she find what makes her so special? Or will she simply find further chaos?
1. Running Away

This story is dedicated to Lordfolken because he is a wonderful guy, and… heck, I really owe him because of that gorgeous Ryu picture he drew for me! Just for little ol' me… I feel so special… that said… of course it has a healthy dash of Ryu, I mean, it is _me _writing it, but heck, (again! So soon!) I hope you enjoy it, Zbee! Love ya!

- Em

* * *

Running.

She was _always _running.

Running from assassins, running from her past, running from her mistakes. But this time, she wasn't running because of anything in particular. Her life would remain intact, her conscious clear. Or as clear as it could get, with all the blood she had shed staining her petite hands.

No, she wasn't running for anything. She was running to get to something.

Her feet pounded against the damp ground. It had been so long since she had a home. A nice, warm bed to sleep in. The comforting feeling of food in her stomach, instead of anything she could scavenge on the spot. Someone who loved her.

Even though she had always been the 'favourite', according to her half-sister, she had never managed to experience love. Ayane had. She envied her that.

Can a runaway kunoichi really be loved? After the crime they have committed against their clans, will they ever know the feeling that everybody calls love?

She made a face. Emotion made people weaker, every ninja and kunoichi knew that. But she had tried so hard to be strong already. Even under the guise of a runaway, she was still only a young woman. Barely that. She slowed, clutching a dirty, damp blanket around her shoulders. It was the only comfort she had. Sad, that.

Leaning against a tree let her get her breath back. The running itself hadn't sapped her energy, just the thoughts that she had been having had been enough to make her tire. There was no point feeling sorry for herself, but then again, life being a bit easier for her would never go amiss… no. Pity was for the weak.

_Am I begrudged a bit of weakness once in a while? Just once?_

She was so sick of running. So sick of killing. So sick of not being wanted. Being _wanted _dead by her brother and half-sister didn't count. So sick of not being able to enjoy life while she still lived it. Judging by the extent to which she had been hunted down until recently, it wouldn't have been much longer. But the stream of assassins had ceased. And she still didn't know why, but she wasn't planning on complaining.

Home. I want to go home… 

For some reason, the words of her former guardian came into her head, echoing menacingly in her skull. _Remember, the way of the shinobi is a harsh one. _Harsh was right. It had been harsh of him to knock her out unconscious, ruining the one chance she would have had to see her brother once more, before he began hunting her down. They hadn't spoken more then a few words to each other since.

_Even now, I don't understand why he did it. We've known each other since we were children, yet he is still a mystery to me. Nobody understands the super ninja's motives except for the super ninja himself, I suppose._

Her ears suddenly caught the faintest sound of crunching leaves. Somebody was here.

Somebody that wasn't supposed to be.

She pushed the dirty blanket to the ground, more dust and mildew soiling it. With a quick flick, she pulled out her small blade from where it was holstered behind her, brandishing it with deadly grace and silent skill.

Simultaneously, a ninja dropped from a tree branch above her as another leapt out of the bushes. Stepping back to avoid the first had her nearly walk into the second's blade.

_So much for the assassins ceasing._

She leapt around before the second ninja could stab her with his sword, and flipped deftly over the ninja's head, before unleashing a solid kick, connecting forcefully with the first ninja's face. He dropped instantly, his sword falling into the dirt. Quick as a flash, she picked it up and parried the blow from the remaining ninja, the two swords clanging together as metal hit metal.

"You were supposed to _die, _runaway," the ninja hissed.

She pushed the sword with all her might. The ninja lost his grip, relinquishing his advantage. She had gained the upper edge. "It is not my destiny to die so soon. Certainly not to you. Please, leave me be and I will not have to hurt you,"

Before she had the opportunity to try and dissuade her attacker, a sword blade imbedded itself cleanly in the ninja's skull. The ninja had no time to scream. He dropped to the ground, instantly dead. She felt a pang of guilt in her chest. Another life lost.

She glanced up into the eyes of this new intruder. He, assuming that it was a he, was clothed in traditional ninja garb as black as midnight. However, it was the cool green eyes that alerted her, and instantly made her wary.

"Hayabusa," she greeted coolly. "How nice of you to… drop in,"


	2. A new home

Woo hoo, pet falcon! You might notice a bit of NG-esque sneaking into this story. That game deserves to be worshipped, I swear. Or at least elevated on something. A statue? A tower? A ladder? Well, something.

That aside for a sec, I'm glad the majority of you are enjoying, especially Lordfolken, seeing as this fic _is _for you. Did I send you the reply to your last email? I've forgotten, and I feel stupid.

Just a few quick notes: Mask, even if I do get mad at you I'm not going to block anonymous reviews. Firstly, I respect your opinion, even if I don't quite understand the logic behind it all the time (Yeah, I'm stupid, okay?). Secondly, that cuts off a lot of my other reviewers who are only visitors (or those who are too lazy to log in! Lol! Okay, I can't say that much there, either, because the latter is quite often me!)

Also, Hayabusa is a bit of a bum to write sometimes. Like, you make him non-cliché, he's out of character. You write him cliché, he's… well… cliché. You can't win either way.

Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter! And, um, Hayabusa rules. Yup.

* * *

Wordlessly, he pulled the sword out of the ninja's head. She made a slight face as the sword slid out of the wound, bringing blood and unidentifiable tissues with it. One quick flick and both blood and tissues were gone. "Kasumi. I trust that you are well?"

"Yes," she said, somewhat uncomfortably, watching as he held the sword with fluid movements that screamed skill. Now that they were onto the pleasantries, the awkwardness, for her, at least, had upped a level. "And yourself?"

Metal scraped against metal as he slid the sword back into its holster. "Fine,"

She was about to say something but was interrupted by his somewhat cold and emotionless tone. "Do not shower this conversation with pleasantries, for we have little time for them. My job is to escort you out of this area, and quickly,"

"Why do I need an escort? I am more then-"

A finger was suddenly on her lips. "Come. We have little time, Kasumi. Follow me unless you wish this to be your last day,"

With those chilling words, he started running. Ahead of her. She had to sprint to keep up.

As they were running, he started explaining.

"Your brother has slowed the rate of ninjas as they return empty-handed, those that do return. However, he is sending out Ayane, which should be an interesting move in itself. The reason that I am escorting you out of this forest in particular is that Ayane found out you were temporarily residing around this area and has decided to burn it,"

"What?" she stumbled over a log but managed to stay upright. "She's going to simply burn the forest down?"

Suddenly, Hayabusa stopped dead, pulling out his sword and slashing through some bushes, or so it seemed to her. However, when she heard a scream from the bushes, she started and looked closer. Upon looking closer, she made a face at the gruesome sight that greeted her.

"You're too good to be human. But was that really necessary?"

Hayabusa glanced down at the now dissected ninja. "Perhaps not. We must keep on going,"

For what seemed like hours and hours they kept on running, feet pounding against the muddy soil, until finally, they broke through the last of the trees to an open clearing. "The danger is mostly over," Hayabusa informed her as she slowed to a jog, trying to regain her breath. "However, still be on alert. The Mugen-Tenshin do not usually come down this far, but in their desire to shed your blood, they might break clan boundary to get to you,"

_They want me dead that badly? _That thought was disheartening but she tried not to let it show. Ahead, she could see a small cottage. "Who lives there?" she asked, pointing it out.

Hayabusa shook his head. "I have no idea. Oh, I did forget to tell you something. I want you to stay with me for a little while. My house is further on,"

They continued walking for a little longer until she saw another cottage. "Oh, Hayabusa… you have got to be kidding!" she exclaimed, marvelling at the jasmine creeper that scaled the lattice. "You live in this cute little cottage?"

Emerald green eyes glanced frostily at her, but said nothing. "It's liveable,"

Her eyes averted to the sky as a loud caw could be heard, echoing in the air. A beautiful snowy grey falcon swooped down, landing on Hayabusa's arm.

"And you have a pet falcon?" she reached out to pet the bird, and surprisingly, it didn't peck back, simply lowering its head and letting her scratch it gently.

Hayabusa said nothing. However, she heard him exhale softly as he took the falcon inside.

"What's its name?" she asked cheerfully, stepping inside, observing her surroundings. Liveable was right. Nice but simple furniture, suitable for two people at most, but only just. The word 'conservative' immediately sprung to her mind.

Hayabusa's silence made her assume that the falcon had no name. It didn't seem to mind that, however, as it fluttered down onto the nearest chair.

"So, we have two Hayabusa living in a cute little cottage. What next?"

Emerald eyes focused sharply on her. "Not a lot. Make yourself at home,"

_That I just might do. That I just might do._


	3. Green eyes

I hope this story has a few little surprises here and there for you! Anyway, here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

She stepped outside. The sun had well and truly set, blackness was now falling over the earth like a woollen cloak. With some regret, she remembered leaving her dirty blanket lying in the forest that was apparently soon to be set ablaze because of her.

_I'll go back and get it. A silly little dirty thing it was, but a girl can't sacrifice her comforts. Hayabusa never has to know._

_Perhaps it can even be washed for me!_

Her footsteps hastened as she neared the forest. Everything was still visible, although shadows loomed at every corner. She would be fine. Hayabusa was probably worrying too much. Ayane would never be out at this hour of night.

Without falsifying, she could say that she wasn't a person to scare easily. Assassins had gone after her blood, baying like hounds to shed it. She had fought against many an opponent, some competing for the title of strongest fighter in the world. Yes, it was previously easy for her to say that it took a lot to get her spooked. At least, that had been the way it was. Perhaps she had grown too relaxed since then.

Without warning, an arrow suddenly hurtled out of the forest trees, aimed directly at her forehead. She barely had time to move before it hit, burying itself into the tree bark right where her head would have been a split second earlier.

_Damn, that was too close. _

Her instincts kicked in shortly after that. Run. And run she did. Hair flying in the wind, she ran. Ran to preserve her life. Her attacker was after her. He, or at least she assumed it was a he, was right behind her. Never had she been attacked and chased by someone with such obvious prowess. If he hadn't made himself obvious, she never would have noticed him, which could have been a fatal mistake.

Before she could even think about reacting, there was a sudden weight on her back. Somehow, he had caught her.

Even with her sprinting as fast as she could, he had still managed to catch her.

He pushed her to the ground.

_No point resisting._ _Besides, there isn't a lot I could do even if I wanted to._

Every action was a chilling reminder of how she was at his mercy. And by the look in his eyes, there didn't seem to be any mercy waiting for her at the end of the tunnel. This was it. This was how it would end.

A sword was pulled out, slowly, meticulously. That would haunt her for the rest of her days. How calm and collected he seemed. Almost as though he was savouring the moment. Perhaps he was. Perhaps he had waited a long time for this day to come.

He said something softly, so softly that she didn't understand what he was saying. Then, the sword rose above his head. Slowly. Meticulously. There was nothing that she could do as it came down, the blade hitting home.

The last thing she knew was a searing pain before everything went black. The last thing that she remembered and saw was that his eyes were green.


	4. Promises kept

Wow, uh, this update has been a LONG time in coming. So, hope it was worth the wait, at least. Enjoy!

* * *

He glanced into the falcon's beady eyes. They seemed to be telling him something. Or asking him something.

_You horrible person.__ Did that make you feel any better?_

_No. _He tore his eyes away, turning to the limp form on the bed. He had brought her back. It was his duty to protect her.

A small, cruel smile graced his lips. _What nobody seems to realise is that the only thing she needs to be protected from is me._

A soft whimper escaped the girl's lips. She was tossing and turning fitfully in her unconsciousness.

_Pitiful.__ This is where the Mugen-Tenshin clan would have gone? To an innocent young girl who was thrown into the turmoil of bloodshed?_

With a loud caw, the falcon flapped off its perch and onto his shoulder, pecking him harder then usual. It seemed that the falcon itself didn't like what he was thinking, either.

He swatted it off angrily with a hand. "I'll get you something to eat later. Although, you are more then capable of getting something yourself,"

After finding it near-dead as an abandoned chick one day, he had hand-raised it in the solitude of his cottage. Not much else to do. Somehow, it had seemed to become attached to him, something he didn't overly like or understand to some extent, but there was little he could do about it now. Besides killing the thing, of course…

"Kasumi, Kasumi, Kasumi," he stood over the young girl's sleeping form. "What will I do with you? Should I kill you? Or should I leave you be?"

_No. My promise to myself has been fulfilled. My grudges settled. I can leave her be, and at least nurse her back to health. She shouldn't have taken too much damage._

He examined the wound closely. Simply nothing more then a poorly timed round wound just above the hip bone. _Shouldn't do too much lasting damage._ He padded the wound, bandaging it as carefully as he could. __

A loud and indignant caw interrupted his musings. He turned around to see the somewhat piqued falcon, which had moved to sitting on the table. It cocked its head, looking intently at him. He sighed. "Go and find your own food,"

With one last 'look', the falcon flapped its wings and soared out of the window.

A soft whimper came from the young girl, still sleeping fitfully. He pulled another blanket over her, knowing that there was not much else that he could do to help her.

_Kasumi.__ Please understand. _

But deep down in his heart, there was no way to make the act against her he had committed 'legitimate', which made him sober quickly. _Revenge is such a reckless act… I thought I had matured beyond that._

_And perhaps there was another way. Another way then to take out the anger of that binding promise on her. Never was it her fault that Hayate chose to hunt her down…_

_Or perhaps it was. All things aside, she should have been killed long ago._

_And a promise is a promise. _


	5. Sleep and Dreams

-Sniff- I am so sorry about the delay! Check Snob School for the reason, but… -runs away-

* * *

Kasumi came to in stages. The first stage was hearing the soft murmuring of voices above her head. The second came later, where she was actually able to digest some words, as opposed to mere noises, before she drifted back into sleep.

"Could… lasting damage…"

"Very foolish…"

_What…? _Her mind tried absorbing the words, but it felt as though she was sifting through cotton wool every time she tried to think. _Maybe later…_

The third time she came to, she managed to open her eyes blearily. Beady golden orbs stared back at her, and she jumped.

"Hayabusa!"

The falcon hopped backwards, as though she had startled it.

_Well, Hayabusa, falcon, same thing, I suppose. And logic would have told me that Ryu doesn't have gold eyes, but… that thing scared the absolute heck out of me._

Footsteps were heard, as the door opened and Hayabusa himself, as opposed to the falcon stepped in. "You are awake, I see,"

His voice was as cool and calm as it always was, but for some reason seemed to contain… something… which was different from normal. She didn't ponder on it, instead her attention turning to the bandages she had suddenly noticed on her hip-bone.

"Ouch!" _Seems that once you notice something, it always seems to hurt. I didn't even notice it until before, and it wasn't hurting, either… _"What happened?"

"You were ambushed and injured in the forest. I brought you back here," he said simply. "I had a healer in while you were unconscious. She advises you strongly to not walk on the wound just yet. It may impair the healing process,"

She nodded gingerly. "Alright then. Not to impose or something, but, uh… would I please be able to have something to eat? Sorry, I'm a little hungry,"

The added response from her stomach further confirmed that fact. She smiled sheepishly as Hayabusa raised an eyebrow at her, before leaving the room.

Nothing to do. She turned to the falcon for entertainment. "Hey, falcon. Uh, falcon, what can we call you… Hayabusa Two. Come here,"

Almost as though it was staring her down the way its owner did, the falcon cocked its head, but obediently came over to her, ducking its head so that she could scratch it.

"You know how I got here?" she asked, not feeling as foolish as she originally thought she would be for talking to an animal that, for all accounts, couldn't speak back. The falcon looked intently at her. "You're tolerant, you know. I don't know how you put up with Ryu sometimes. I mean, he's nice and everything, but he's so… I don't know, what am I saying? He cares for me. He's gifted and loyal. You couldn't ask for a better ally,"

A soft nip on her finger. "You don't think so? I don't see why…"

"I apologise that my company is so poor that you have resorted to talking to animals," Hayabusa commented, walking back in holding a small tray, placing it in front of her. On the tray was a small plate of assorted sushi and sashimi, next to it was a bowl of rice and a small glass of water.

She picked up the bowl, admiring the design. Simple but elegant, a black bowl adorned with purple shadowing of leaves.

"You know… I really don't know much about you after all. Never knew you had a flair for the exotic," she complimented, holding up the bowl. "Very nice,"

"Thankyou," A slight bow of the head, before he straightened to eye her sternly. "How are you feeling?"

"A little sore, but I'll live," she said cheerfully enough. After all, he was feeding and watering her. She had to be nice. And besides, what reason was there for her to _not _be nice?

Just taking a small bite of food reminded her unpleasantly just how hungry she was.

"That was quick," Hayabusa remarked mildly. "Are you still hungry?"

She nodded, a small smile on her lips. "Sorry. I hope I won't eat you out of house and home by constantly doing this. This being eating like a horse,"

Hayabusa took the tray and returned shortly with more sashimi. Eagerly, she ate it. Unfortunately, as she was handing the plate back to Hayabusa, she felt a stabbing pain down her hip. "Ouch!" she exclaimed, dropping the plate as burning fire shot down her body.

In a movement too fast for her eyes to follow, Hayabusa had caught the plate, placed it on the dressing table beside her, and was at her side. "Are you alright, Kasumi?"

"Yes. Thanks," she said, trying not to wince.

"You still have to be very careful of that wound," Hayabusa instructed, picking up the plate and giving her one stern stare-down before leaving the room.

_Darn. I could never beat him in a staring contest any day._

Her thoughts soon drifted elsewhere. _I wonder where Hayate found that assassin? He was unbelievably fast. Faster then Hayate himself. But for some reason, I'm not dead. Why is that? Perhaps he was lenient and decided to let me go?_

Slender hands fingered the tassels on the bedclothes. _I'm still being hunted down. I'm an easy target, wounded like this. I have to be extra careful._

_But I will be alright. With Hayabusa as my guardian… what could ever go wrong?_

Her eyelids dropped as fatigue slowly overtook her. _Hayabusa is a good person… he will protect me… I know he will._

He was silently standing there, watching her sleep. Her head was buried in the pillow, a petite hand curled into a half-fist as she slept, amber hair spread over the pillow as though Kasumi was some mystical angel.

As he turned to leave, she murmured something in her sleep.

"What did you say, Kasumi?" he questioned softly, turning back to face the young kunoichi.

"Don't leave me…" she murmured, reaching out the non-clenched hand. "Hayate, don't go, please don't go…"

He sighed softly. She was dreaming about Hayate leaving? That was a forgettable time for all of them. He shook his head and made to leave once more.

"I don't want Hayabusa protecting me… I want you back…"

Always had been the little sister and the shinobi. Nothing he could have done to change that, after all, it was what Hayate had wanted. She had smiled rarely with him that he had seen, those beautiful, feminine smiles saved solely for her brother.

He could never make her happy. He had begun to accept that now.

"I know Hayabusa cares for me… he's a wonderful person, but he isn't my brother…"

_I've heard too much. _He turned back to the door, walking out and softly shutting the door behind him, not looking back.


	6. The biggest fight of them all

-Sob- I hate this chapter. You will probably guess why after reading it, but… -sob-

Well… yeah, enjoy the chapter. I won't… -sniff-

* * *

The bed-rest had certainly helped. The pain had essentially gone, apart from a small twinge then and there, and an aggravating limp. But hopefully that would soon pass. She was finally outside now, picking some flowers to lighten up the cottage a bit. She had been wandering around the area for hours now, and enjoyed every second of it.

For some reason, as soon as she hobbled back inside the cute little cottage, flowers in hand, something felt terribly amiss. She looked around tentatively, tanto suddenly in hand, until something caught her eye. She turned, and a soft gasp escaped her lips.

The falcon she had dubbed jokingly Hayabusa Two was lying motionless on the ground, two arrows imbedded deeply in its chest. Blood stained the soft downy feathers a deep red.

She rushed over, bending down, dropping the flowers on the ground. It was certainly dead. There was a small piece of parchment tied to one of the arrows. She tore it off the arrow furiously, reading the neatly inked words.

_We are coming for you, Hayabusa._

There was a bloodstain next to the words. Whether it was blood from the falcon or not, she didn't know.

Amber eyes widened. _Hayabusa is being hunted? By whom? _

_The poor falcon… why did anybody have to hurt it? It was just an innocent animal…_

"Kasumi?" Hayabusa himself stepped in, and stopped dead at the sight of the dead falcon.

She wordlessly handed him the piece of parchment. He scanned over the words before tearing it up, letting the pieces flutter to the ground. She looked up at him in surprise, and saw that his emerald eyes were filled with deep angst as he picked up the falcon's body.

"We have to leave here, Kasumi, otherwise the casualties could be a lot greater. Get everything you need,"

"You're coming with me? But-"

Hayabusa stopped her with a hand. "Don't argue, Kasumi, just get ready to go before you or I are the next victims,"

With those chilling words, he left the room with the falcon's body. She stared after him for a moment, before limping down to her room to gather the meagre possessions she had.

When she returned, she found that he had packed. Mostly weapons of various sorts, including some she had never seen before, and a bucket, cups, and a fishing rod.

"These might be useful," he said simply when she questioned him about the latter objects.

He picked up one interesting weapon, spinning it around before holstering it. To her, it looked like a set of bladed nunchakus. Very deadly, especially with Hayabusa's finesse.

Never before had she seen such obvious hatred in Hayabusa's eyes. She followed him outside as he locked the door.

_Goodbye, cute little cottage. I guess this is it, huh? Back to the forests. Back to fighting to survive. But I will be alright._

She smiled bitterly. _Fighting, you get used to it. The story of my life, after all._


	7. Return to the known

Hey! Umm… I don't have a lot to say, me thinks. So, enjoy the chapter, and I'll go back to studying for my exams! Yay! …yeah, right…

And I can finally upload this now! Yeesh. Anyway...

* * *

"Something is… amiss around here, Kasumi. Be on alert,"

They were walking through the forest. Birds were chirping, everything seemed peaceful. For the life of her, she couldn't sense anything out of the ordinary.

"Hayabusa-san, maybe you're being too mistrustful. Nothing is wrong here. It's a beautiful day. Nothing is amiss,"

He turned to stare at her with those vivid emerald orbs. "Do you truly believe that?"

She nodded, determined to stand by her words.

"Alright. If you believe that, I cannot stop you,"

_He was admitting he was wrong?_

"But be on alert all the same. Better to be suspicious and alive then the alternative,"

She hoisted the pack she was wearing further onto her shoulders. It was too big for her, it kept on falling off. "I suppose so, but you can go by the benefit of the doubt…"

"And I could safely inform you that many dead warriors have thought the same thing. Humour me,"

She turned to look at him, when those words came out of his mouth. Literally, it seemed like such an odd statement. She couldn't imagine anything ever making him smile, let alone humour him as such. Kasumi had never even seen him smile.

"Okay. We're about to get attacked. Someone is behind us, and is going to kill us. Happy now?"

To say that it was a poor excuse for a joke was an understatement, especially given the circumstances. She didn't expect him to smile at it.

She wasn't disappointed.

A sudden rustling of the bushes startled her. "Hayabusa, was that you?"

Hayabusa was nowhere to be seen. She spun, seeing movement from a small cave. Before she could say anything, he had slashed at the bushes. A scream cut through the air, truncated abruptly as he spun those bladed nunchaku with lightning speed.

He must have dropped the pack in the cave. She immediately dropped hers to the ground, drawing her tanto.

Movement behind her. She ducked instinctively, lashing upwards with her foot at the same time. She wasn't expecting the ninja to catch her foot, before crushing it in his hands. Pain shot through her foot, echoing the sudden pain that erupted in her injured hip, as she jerked her foot out of the ninja's grip, thrusting her tanto upwards.

The blade imbedded itself in the ninja's stomach. He gasped in pain, but at the same time brought a sword from nowhere and swung it at her head. She rolled out of the way, hearing the blade dig into the soft ground.

She pulled out her tanto from the ninja's stomach. With a rush, warm blood poured down over her. She grimaced and thrust the weapon upwards again, connecting with the ninja's chest. He fell on top of her in a pool of blood.

A scream echoed through the trees. Her eyes instantly locked on where Hayabusa was. No, he wasn't hurt, not seriously, at least. His eyes were shining with hatred as the bladed nunchaku spun in front of him like spinning wheels. In an almost casual manner, he spun his weapon forward, lopping off the ninja's head like a branch off a tree.

She flinched as blood gushed from the wound and the ninja fell forwards heavily onto the ground. She would kill because she had to… but not like that. Never like that.

"Oh, Hayabusa. We never expected less from you. But you didn't have to make this so messy, you know,"

Both she and Hayabusa spun, immediately focusing on the shrouded figure. Hayabusa's eyes visibly narrowed.

"Foster. You were supposed to be dead."

"Of course. But things never seem to happen the way you want them to, do they? And, I must ask. What of Irene?"

_Irene? Who's that? _She was surprised to see Hayabusa visibly flinch, but then regain his composure in an instant.

"You know the circumstances surrounding her demise. No doubt you had it planned all along,"

The man known as Foster chuckled mirthlessly, the sound easing along her spine, making her shiver. "You should be grateful, Ryu. Not often I come along to do this sort of thing personally. Not enough time, now…"

"I don't care," Hayabusa's voice was ice cold. "What you have already done is unacceptable,"

"Oh Ryu, Ryu… Ryu. Won't you reconsider?"

Several more ninja came out from somewhere in the bushes, brandishing swords, knives, wielding bows and nunchaku. They were surrounded.

Hayabusa's voice was flat. "No,"

"So be it," Foster turned to address the nearest ninja. "Kill him. Do what you like with the girl,"

The movement was so quick, it barely registered. The ninja all moved as one, slashing, aiming. To kill.

She leapt in the air, grasping the nearest branch, and swinging, using her momentum to knock down two ninja directly below her. The first bow-wielding ninja aimed at her. She deftly swung upwards and let go of the branch, soaring into the air and landing on the ground, readying her tanto.

The bow ninja staggered. She caught a glimpse of something imbedded in his back.

Something… smouldering…?

There was a loud bang. Explosion. Incendiary shuriken.

_Gods! I never thought anybody would use something like that. Those things are so… brutal. I really never thought anyone… especially not Hayabusa…_

The ninja staggered again, dropping his bow, before falling to the ground, dead.

The remaining ninja slowed momentarily, as though caught off guard by the death of their brethren. She seized the opportunity, lashing out at the nearest ninja with her tanto. He wasn't fast enough to react. The blade ended up deep in his forehead, piercing his brain. She knew even before he keeled over that he was dead.

Hayabusa snatched up the bow and arrows, and in a deft motion, aimed and shot. The arrow caught the other bow-wielding ninja in the throat. An instant kill.

Now, it was down to her and Ryu fighting two ninja, one armed with a sword, one armed with fists. She lashed out at the knife ninja, tanto in hand. He dodged the blow and retaliated with several lightning-fast punches of his own. She threw up her arms to block instinctively, and a searing pain shot through them. She dropped her guard for a split second to look at her arms, before throwing them up again, numb with shock.

_What the… no… impossible…_

There were deep, ragged rivulets in her arm, wounds that could only be made by one thing.

The ninja was wearing claws, also known as _shuko. _Many hundreds of years ago, barbaric forms of ninjutsu used claws. She had heard the stories. The victim often looked like the result of a lion's kill.

She was only lucky… really, only lucky.

She readied her tanto.


	8. Arrow of destiny

The two crimes of fanfiction: Short chapters and cliché-isms, and I've done them both. If Mask is here still, I'm sorry! Well, at least there's no random Mary-Sue OC. It's a start.

Anyway, yeah, I did write the FAQ at gamefaqs. Spread the Ryu goodness!

Hmm, luckily (or unluckily, depending on how you look at it), the next chapter will be longer. Hope you enjoy this… paragraph!

Geez, has this site stopped underscores from being in chapters? Next thing you know they'll start banning letters, too... >.>;

* * *

The flails were readied in his hands as the ninja slowly circled around him, sword out.

"You could have had this so much easier. But you chose to make it harder for yourself… and us. Prepare to die,"

He pulled the chain of the flails tightly. "Never."

A sudden chuckle from above him. He instinctively spun, eyes darting from Foster to the ninja. The ninja stepped forward, hoping to attack while his attention seemed to be trained elsewhere. He spun the flails warningly. The ninja stopped.

"You weren't content, were you, Ryu?" Foster's voice was soft, almost gently so. "You could never be satisfied with peace,"

"That isn't true," In contrast, his voice was tight, forced. Because he knew, deep down, that Foster was right, at least to some extent. But if Foster was partially right, then that meant that Foster had _partially _won. "Peace is the only thing I fight for,"

"I never said it wasn't," Now Foster was addressing him as you would address a child who had to be taught a life lesson. Condescendingly, but almost… affectionately. That scared him. He had to be honest there; it scared him. "But once peace has been achieved, what do you have left?"

"What does one have after one of life's doors has closed? Nothing but the remainder of the doors, to begin another journey."

"You certainly have matured since our first meeting, Ryu," Foster looked almost wistful as he glanced away, through the trees, before eyeing him again, that solid gaze returning to him once more. "Seems a shame that this will be your end,"

With that, Foster pulled out a gun and shot. One single bullet, directly aimed at his head.

He deflected it easily with the Vigoorian Flails. "You don't have to do it this way, Foster,"

"No, you're right," Foster holstered his gun deftly. "Why should I kill you, when I can make you suffer instead?"

"What…"

He broke off abruptly as he saw the former CIA leader pull out a bow.

Foster aimed. Spoke.

"Let it be known, that this arrow was _not _aimed for you."

Fired.

Kasumi stood there with wide eyes, having successfully defeated the other ninja. She looked too stunned to react as the arrow hurtled towards her, directly at her chest.

Foster simply stood there, smiling.

He could knock her out of the way, and they would both remain unscathed.

Before he knew what he was doing, he had pushed the young girl away, sent her sprawling into the dirt. Now… it was him staring down into that arrow.

Instinct told him he should move out of the way. Kasumi was safe and he had nothing to prove. Not to him, not to her… not to anybody.

Or did he…?

Did he…

…too late.

Searing pain as the arrow imbedded into his side, before dizziness and sweet nothingness.


	9. That feeling known as

I have nothing to say. Shock horror disaster! Except that I hope you enjoy, as always. Until next time!

-o-

"Hayabusa!"

She ran over. He was slumped against the tree, breathing heavily. "I thought there was somebody else around," he told her with his eyes shut.

_This is my fault. I told him to not be so suspicious… and look where that got us. Sometimes you really can't go by the benefit of the doubt…_

She glanced upwards into the trees. It seemed that the person that attacked Hayabusa had simply gone; escaped during the commotion.

Emerald eyes flickered open for a brief instant, as Hayabusa grabbed the arrow protruding out of his side and pulled. With one sharp, sickening tug, the arrow dropped to the ground. She flinched as the blood started to flow from the wound. It looked a painful one.

"You weren't supposed to get hurt. Haven't you heard those stories about the hero taking down the enemies without a scratch?" she whispered, stroking Hayabusa's chestnut hair softly. _He has to be alright. He has to be. It can't end like this._

Hayabusa's breaths were short and uneven. "Either that or there is a dramatic scene in which the hero declares his love for the beautiful woman he just saved before he dies,"

Even with the pain that he must have been in, a small smile formed on his lips. Just a small lip-turning up, and only for a few seconds. "You are a beautiful woman, Kasumi,"

"But you're not going to die on me, are you?" Concern and that distant feeling of panic were beginning to bubble up within her; however that couldn't shake off the strength of his words. _Does he… does he… love me…? He said… oh, now what do I do? _

She tugged on the material of her outfit until a small tear appeared. Grasping the material with both hands, she tore it into a makeshift bandage. "Can you move so I can bandage it?"

He winced, but nodded, moving so she could easily access the wound. "It will have to do for now. We should probably get you to shelter, just in case it rains or something," She started picking up her things, her tanto off the ground, even her blanket, it was still with her… just…

"No, Kasumi, this is foolish,"

She started, turning to face him. "What are you talking about?"

"You will be an easy target if you stay with me,"

Her voice was indignant. "I can't just leave you to die!"

"Kasumi. Promise me that if we are under attack, you will leave me here. Promise me!"

Any other time, she would have made a joking remark that the ever-stoic Hayabusa was actually using emotion and tone in his voice. Now, however, she was just scared.

"No. I refuse to leave you. You would do the same for me,"

_I can't believe that he… he loves me. That is… unbelievable. But so nice that someone cares for me like that. That somebody cares that much whether I live or die. I can't leave him here to die._

"Kasumi. You have to. I can't help you. I will just slow you down,"

There was pain in his voice, even behind the seemingly stoic exterior. She could distantly hear it. "I think it was… it was poisoned. If you stay with me, we will both die. You have to leave me if assassins come after you,"

_Poison? _"Are you saying that I can't look after myself, or lack the skills to defend us?"

Hayabusa shook his head slowly, then stopped abruptly as even that simple action was hurting. "Not at all. However, the assassins that are going after me are working on a different… sense of honour… to the ones hunting you, I suppose. Hayate still has some form of honour within his clan and the assassins will execute that. If the assassins going after me find you with me, they will torture and kill you, if you are lucky. They have no sense of honour and will kill or hurt you if they can, simply because they can,"

"So you're playing on a totally different level to me,"

"Essentially,"

_He loves me… he loves me… but if he's not lucky, he's going to die._

He had broken into a sweat, perspiration beading his forehead. There was certainly some form of poison coming into effect now, rather quickly, mores to the point. "We have to get you to some shelter somewhere," she instructed. "Can you stand?"

His eyes flickered shut. She shook him less-then gently. "Hayabusa-san, you have to stay with me! Open your eyes!"

"Ryu is fine," he told her quietly, eyes remaining shut.

"Hayabusa… Ryu! You have to stay awake! Please!"

No such luck. She swore softly under her breath, scanning the surroundings. Nowhere that could be considered sufficient shelter for a night, which was probably what they would need, at the very least. But there was no getting him to move at this stage. Already, he was in a deep state of unconsciousness.

She gently moved him under the shade of a nearby tree, glancing up at the sky. The sky was clear and blue… well; at least it was until she turned her head. Stormy grey clouds hung like an unpleasant smell in the sky. She gave it an hour before the rain started to fall.

She cursed again, somewhat grateful that Hayabusa wouldn't hear her swearing her head off. They had to find somewhere decent for shelter, and quickly.

_But I can't leave him alone. He could as easily be attacked when I'm gone. So it has to be somewhere around here. _

Eyes of amber scanned the area worriedly, before stopping on a small cave about a hundred metres away, where they had originally left the bucket and fishing rod earlier. _I forgot about that. That's perfect. Just what we need._

A few minutes later, and both she and Ryu were inside the cave. She draped her blanket over his prone form, before sighing softly. _Nothing else I can do. And I have to find food. So I _will _have to leave you for a bit, Ryu. But I will be back soon! Don't misbehave while I'm gone!_

She stood up, snatching the fishing pole and the bucket from off the ground. _Now, let's see if I can catch us a fish or two… please Ryu, be safe…_

-o-


	10. Wake up tomorrow

I forgot to say this last update out of laziness… Mia… OO –Gets a big head- Your story rules. Honest. Update _soon! _–Pokes-

Anywho, back to fish. Mmm, fish. Speaking of, I wonder when dinner is… err… never mind…

I was going to call this chapter 'Here, fishy fishy fishy...' but decided against it for a few reasons. One, because it doesn't really fit in with the flow of the story, and two, because this site doesn't let you put '...' in chapter names. And 'Here, fishy fishy fishy' just doesn't look right. So, there you go. )

* * *

Over an hour, four fish and a tantrum or two later, she returned to the cave, fish still in the bucket. Her sign of triumph over the damn things.

She felt warm and so loved whenever she thought of how Ryu had sacrificed his own health, dismissed his own safety for _her. _Perhaps she really did love him, too. Surely you didn't get that warm fuzzy feeling, that happy smile when you weren't?

_Love… me… heck, I _do _feel warm and fuzzy. Like I have a new security blanket or something, almost. Seems stupid, but… love… wow…_

It felt positively magical. A new experience, on a solid gold podium elevated above the stars. Love. And she was allowed to feel it. How lucky was she?

Her thoughts returned to less-magical reality as she entered the cave.

No signs of Hayabusa having regained consciousness. That was until she bent down beside him to check his temperature and saw blurred emerald eyes staring at her.

"Ryu? You're awake,"

He blinked slowly. That one action looked to be a great effort, and dispelled any hope she had that the poison had worn off or somehow not worked. Unlike the clear emerald she was used to, they were bleary and the confused, almost frightened expression that was on his face was so unlike him and so concerning that she instantly wanted to comfort him.

"Where am… where am I?"

He was speaking slowly, as though his mouth was having trouble forming the words.

"You're in a cave near where you were injured. Do you remember?"

His eyes shut, stayed shut for several moments before opening again. "Kasumi? Is that you?"

"Yes, Ryu. You're delirious. Do you want to eat something? I think you should,"

A single nod was her response before his eyes shut again.

_Oh, Ryu… don't do this to me. You have to be alright! You have to!_

Soon enough, she had a small fire burning merrily out the front of the cave. Not exactly the most subtle of things, a fire, but she couldn't really move it anywhere else. The fish were cooking nicely as she brought Ryu some fresh water from the stream.

"Here. Drink this,"

It hit her like a blow as he took the cup and she noticed that his hands were trembling excessively as he lifted the cup shakily to his lips. _Good god, if poison can do this to him, what hope would I have? I am so lucky he took that blow for me… but heck; I'd feel less guilty if I took it… especially now that I know how he feels about me…_

"Dinner's nearly ready,"

There was a scrumptious, taste bud-probing smell wafting in from outside. A small exclamation from her stomach made her remember that the last time she had eaten was the day before. She grinned sheepishly, and went outside to bring in the fish. She placed them on two plates before bringing them back inside.

"Here you go-"

She stopped abruptly as the realization slowly dawned on her that Ryu had lost consciousness in that short period of time.

His breathing was laboured, perspiration beading on his face. Soon enough, there was another tear in her clothing as she tore off a strip of material, wet it and gently wrapped it around Ryu's forehead.

Her meal didn't taste nearly as good as she had thought it would. Perhaps it was that underlying of anxiety that made her stomach churn. She ended up throwing away most of it.

"Come on, Ryu," she whispered. "Snap out of it. Come back to us. Come back to… come back to me,"

Her words drifted away on the wind. She knew that he would never have heard her; he was too lost in the land of dreams. Or unconsciousness. She preferred the former to the latter.

_Sleep well, Ryu. Just make sure you wake up again in the morning._


	11. Ignorance is bliss

I'm so happy. I got my wireless net working again, so I don't have to mess up the already messy study to use the net. Laziness always triumphs!

-Cough- Anyway… no, no… justice always does! Ryu's justice, anyway.

Ryu no seigi wa katsu! –Waves fangirlish flags-

Mia, your story really does rule. It was one of the first I read when I came to the DOA fanfiction section, and it was one of my favourites from the start. I really hope you continue it! -Puppy dog eyes-

Wolf… Wilf? It has an interesting ring to it, that's for sure. But that's okay, I nearly called you Wofl, so there you go. Is WOFL any relation to ROFL?

Thankyou everybody for reviewing! It's really nice of you. I love you guys! –Sob-

* * *

A sudden chill assailed her frame as a sharp breeze cut through the cave. She was huddled up in the back corner, leaning against the rocky wall, clutching another equally tattered blanket to her. The wind seemed to be going right through it.

However, she must have fallen asleep, despite her wanting to stay awake to keep watch. The moon was high in the sky, which it hadn't been the last time she remembered being awake. There was some movement and she instantly went for her tanto, however, upon further inspection she realised it was just Ryu. On third glance, she was unpleasantly notified that it could be of more concern then she had originally thought.

He was sleeping fitfully; there was no other word for it. He was constantly rolling over, despite how this would assumedly aggravate the wound, and tossing and turning. She softly walked over there, gently shaking him. Nothing.

"Ryu, wake up. You're-" she stopped abruptly as a hand tightly encircled her wrist.

Emerald eyes, startlingly clear, were boring into her as he grasped her wrist. It was beginning to hurt. That was how much pressure he was using.

"Let go of me, Ryu…" she started, but the look in his eyes clearly said that he wouldn't be letting go of anything any time soon.

She was beginning to feel uneasy despite herself. What was wrong with him? He suddenly looked so different, so… evil. Attempting to prise her wrist away from his hand proved futile. He was still as incredibly strong as before.

"Ryu, please, let go! You're hurting!" Before she could think twice, she had pulled out her tanto with her other hand and held it against Ryu's throat.

His eyes widened as they took in what she had just done. He dropped her hand instantaneously, eyes flickering shut as his head dropped to the blanket.

"What is wrong with you?" she questioned aloud.

Soft murmuring escaped Ryu's lips. The only words she understood were 'ninja', 'assassin' and 'Kasumi'. The rest sounded like useless mumbling.

"What did you say, Ryu? Talk to me,"

He said something else that immediately made the hairs on her neck stand on end, in simple words for her to understand. "Assassins. They want to kill you. Look around here,"

For some reason, that sparked fear within her. Or perhaps it was paranoia.

Probably paranoia.

"Ryu? What do you mean?"

He was well and truly unconscious again.

She paused, hard in thought.

How could he know if there were assassins when he was out of it from poison? But it was better to be safe, paranoid and wondering about how Ryu could know such things then ignorant until the very end, was it not?

She gripped the hilt of her tanto tightly, peeking around the wall of the front of the cave. Surely, nothing would come from it.

A sharp gasp of surprise as she came face-to-mask with three Mugen-Tenshin ninjas.


	12. Wishes of the clan

Yay, new chapter. School starts tomorrow… so depressing… anyways, hope you enjoy the chapter. Until next update!

You know what to do._ His own words echoed in his head as he ran. _Kill her. Don't hold back. No matter who she is… she needs to die.

_"It's all a matter of principle," he told himself, jumping deftly over a fallen tree._

_But the fact remained… that, no matter who she was, he wasn't able to kill her himself. Not now. But_ _soon… very, very soon. He would honour his clan's wishes, and to some extent, his own…_

"The runaway!" One of them exclaimed. Too late. Kasumi had already sprung.

Her tanto was buried deep within the first ninja's stomach. She pulled it out as hands swatted wildly at her, and the first ninja fell dead to the ground. The second and third both drew back at the sight of their fallen comrade.

"You will not defeat me!" she cried, jumping at the second ninja and lashing out with her feet. The ninja went flying into a nearby tree, back connecting solidly enough with the wooden trunk. The third ninja threw a flurry of shuriken down at her. She back-flipped once, twice, three times, until she felt a tree trunk pressing into her spine.

"Runaway, you must die for the sake of our clan!" the third ninja exclaimed, drawing his sword. There was nowhere for her to go.

Nowhere, except back.

She flipped backwards, onto the trunk of the tree, before using all her body weight and pushing forward into what could be distantly considered a wall Oboro. The ninja immediately collapsed onto his knees, winded, before falling onto the ground. She kicked the sword out of his grasp, before flicking it up into her own hands and readying her feet.

The second ninja, who had now recovered from hitting the tree, had been circling her waiting for an opportunity to get in a blow whilst she had been fighting the third ninja. Luckily for her, she had given him no such chance. Finally, impatient, he lunged. She neatly dodged the sword blade before countering it with a blow of her own, connecting solidly with his head and sending him falling to the ground, blood pouring out of the wound.

Before the remaining ninja could attack her, she stabbed the sword into his body, before flipping over, the sword taking her weight, and stabbing him again. Just to make sure.

She stopped, breathing deeply, staring around at the dead bodies that littered the area.

"I'm sorry," she whispered into the breeze. "I didn't want to have to do it like this, but you left me no choice,"

Even still, she felt a sudden sense of melancholy as she threw the sword down on the ground and re-entered the cave. It wouldn't be pleasant to sleep near corpses for too long. They would probably have to move again when it was light.

_Except for them. They don't have any more light to come for them. Their light is out. Forever._

She knelt beside the sleeping form of Hayabusa. "I don't know how you do it. You can still sleep perfectly at night. Don't you ever mourn those you kill?"

A soft sigh escaped her lips. "I suppose it isn't the same to you. You don't care. Or maybe you do, and just don't show it. I really know nothing with you, do I?

She brushed some of that russet hair out of his face. He looked so peaceful. So unlike a murderous killer.

"You don't really feel that guilty, do you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have gone and sought vengeance for your clan the way you did. I admit they weren't completely innocent, but they were still lives…"

She could almost imagine Ayane's sneering expression, had she been talking to her instead of a sleeping, possibly unconscious Hayabusa.

_Oh, Kasumi, you're such a coward. Why would the Mugen-Tenshin clan want wimps like you?_

"Perhaps… perhaps I'm_ not_ right for this sort of thing. Maybe I'm too cowardly. And I was supposed to be the clan leader, even before Hayate. Funny how some things happen, isn't it? If you were here, Ayane, you would laugh… and kill me…"

A sudden breeze swept through the cave. She shivered, grabbing the blanket she had abandoned earlier and wrapping it around herself, before shifting closer to Hayabusa.

"You're warm. You don't mind, do you?"

She lay down beside him, snuggling into his chest. _He's unconscious. He won't care. And if nothing else, he makes a nice wind block. Sorry, Ryu. Please don't get mad at me!_

She shut her eyes, and fell into an uneasy slumber, filled with spilled blood and glassy eyes.


	13. You don't feel

I forgot to post this chapter! Whoopsies! And I'm not dead… I'm just lazy, methinks… -sheepish grin-

Well, anyways, here's the chapter! (Finally!) Hope you enjoy!

* * *

The first thing he noticed was something tickling his chest and face. Felt like hair.

He slowly opened his eyes, ignoring the pain that stabbed through his head and the dull ache which spread through his hips down, trying to focus on what was tickling him.

It was hair. Not his hair. Amber hair.

_No, that isn't my hair… _

He rubbed his eyes, trying to get a grip on his surroundings. It was then he realised what, or who the hair belonged to. Kasumi was fast asleep, curled up beside him.

_She must have been cold or something last night. What happened? I don't remember a thing… wait, those assassins… oh._

"Kasumi," he shook her gently. "Kasumi, wake up."

The kunoichi stirred and murmured something in her sleep. It sounded distantly like 'Not yet, Hayabusa,' but ended up all blurred together and not really resembling anything any normal individual could understand.

"You have to wake up, Kasumi."

"No'et, 'Busa," Kasumi mumbled into his chest.

_Well, slightly more understandable then the last, I suppose…_

He shook her, not so gently this time."Come on, Kasumi. Do you want me to go down and get you some pond water? That might wake you up."

"Wha…" Amber eyes opened, staring blearily at him. "Oh… I must have fallen asleep… good morning, Ryu."

"Good morning," he responded automatically, but bemusedly.

Suddenly, her eyes became a lot more alert. "You're better!" she exclaimed, sitting up and clutching the blanket to her chest. "That's wonderful!"

He winced at her voice stabbing through his head. "Not quite."

"Oh, I'm sorry…" the smile immediately faded. "I didn't know, I-"

"No, it's alright," he assured the anxious kunoichi. "Most of the poison seems to have worn off, from what I've noticed, anyway…"

He stood up with more difficulty then he had anticipated, walked stiffly outside and was greeted by an interesting sight. At least for that hour of the morning.

"Been having fun out here?" he questioned, gesturing at the corpses strewn across the ground. He recognised the headpiece of those of the Mugen-Tenshin clan. It seemed that Ayane was not the only person going after Kasumi's blood.

Kasumi's expression immediately sobered. "There was no other way to do it."

"You did a good job," he remarked offhandedly, staring at the bodies. "Efficiently done, I see."

_Means there's less chance of left-over evidence being found, I suppose… and she's so efficient she wouldn't get hurt. That is a good thing._

"Hayabusa, how can you say something like that?"

He turned with some surprise to face Kasumi, whose expression was hurt and tone indignant.

"These are people too! My own brethren! How can you speak so dismissively of them?"

He sighed. _It seems that, regardless of how much they desire to shed her blood, she is still repulsed by shedding theirs. Perhaps that isn't such a bad thing, all in all. But generosity and guilt will get her killed. _"I'll go and get something for breakfast."

She nodded wordlessly, turning to stare at the corpses. He left her there. No doubt she wanted some time alone.

The poison's effects hadn't completely disappeared. He was still feeling light-headed, rather shaky and not really at all like himself. Not to mention the aggravating limp that assailed him due to the hip-wound. Ironically enough, about the same place he had got Kasumi.

_I made the choice. I could have reacted faster. I could have moved out of the way. But I didn't. And I still don't know why._

That said, he could still catch some fish.

A few minutes later, he brought the bucket back, complete with three large fish, not knowing how much Kasumi intended to eat. As soon as he returned, he noted that the corpses had gone and a fire was burning out the front of the cave.

Kasumi smiled as he went over to her, but it was a sad smile, a shadow of her former happiness and childlike innocence. "Fish again, huh?"

"What else do you expect me to get?"

She flinched as though she had been slapped. He hadn't realized that his words came out quite as cuttingly as that.

"I suppose so," she said shakily before he could apologise. "Do you want me to cook them?"

"No, it's alright. I will do it."

He knelt down, skewering the fish and letting them cook over the fire.

Silence fell between them. He was perfectly content, but out of the corner of his eye he could see Kasumi shifting uneasily, as though the silence was making her uncomfortable. Her hands were clamped tightly together, gripping each other in a death-hold, as amber eyes danced around the surroundings.

_Ryu, perhaps you're being too harsh to her. She did help you, after all._

_But then again, if it wasn't for her, then you wouldn't have been injured in the first place._

_No, you chose to react slowly and stay in the way of the incoming arrow. That was your choice and had nothing to do with Kasumi._

_Perhaps, now… you're even with her. You owe her no favours, nor does she._

"Excuse me… Hayabusa-san?"

"What?"

Her hands were turning white with the pressure she was exerting on them, her eyes settling on anything but his own.

"How did you know that there were assassins last night?"

Truth be told, he didn't know for sure. Those footsteps, and those voices. Certainly not either of theirs, and the only thing it could have been were assassins, albeit careless ones. And another voice… that sounded like… _him…_

He decided to leave that out of the explanation.

"Luck and instinct," he settled with stating, turning the fish over.

"How did you hear it?" she persisted, staring at the fish's skin browning and crisping. "I know that I… I didn't…"

"You're careless."

The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

She stared at him for a moment, before looking away abruptly.

"Hayabusa, you're so… so… cold."

It was his turn to stare at her. "What do you mean by that?"

The first spark of anger he had ever seen from her was becoming visible as she gazed into his eyes solidly. "I mean, that you think you're so much better then everybody else. Maybe you are, but it certainly isn't becoming to flaunt it."

A faint flush graced the kunoichi's cheeks. She looked away again, ducking her face, but he still noticed it.

"Maybe if you were more cautious and less careless, you wouldn't be in the situation you are currently in. If you were less careless, you would still be with your brother now, leading the Mugen-Tenshin clan, instead of being a lowly runaway," he stated simply, putting the now-cooked fish onto two plates.

"Yes, maybe I would be."

He glanced up at that, looking at Kasumi. She was staring at something beyond, hands still clenched tightly together.

"Maybe I would be with Hayate at home. Maybe I would have my family. Maybe I am just careless, but that's just me. There's nothing I can do to change who I am. And there's certainly nothing _you _can do to change me, either, because I won't let you! Maybe you're just jealous. Maybe you're just jealous of me. For the life I got to lead before I became a runaway. Because I still have a family that loves me and cares for me, even if they have to hunt me down. Because I still have a family at all!"

"I do not know what you are trying to insinuate, but if you are trying to insult me it isn't working," he told her coolly.

"And you know why that is? It's because you don't _feel._"

She threw down her utensils, and stormed off in the direction of the lake.


	14. Not worth that much

Hi again! Sorry about the long time in coming, what with this site being down so much and my lack of memory and all. Hope you enjoy the chapter nonetheless!

* * *

He should go and get her. He should.

Yet, his feet seemed unwilling to act, so he simply sat there, watching the fish's skin turn to charcoal. Suddenly, his appetite seemed to have gone.

_This is ridiculous. Why am I helping her?_

Almost as if in answer, Hayate's words, spoken so many years ago, drifted through his mind.

"_Ryu, please, protect her. No matter what. Promise me!"_

And promise he had. He had protected her with all that he had. But now…

_Promises don't end just because you currently dislike the person._

Maybe, deep down, he _was_ jealous of her, to some extent. She didn't know the meaning behind Hayate's sudden absence, that caring, carefree personality lost. He did. He had seen the anguish it had caused his best friend to hunt Kasumi down.

Or maybe it was just anger he was feeling towards her. And he was too naïve to know the difference.

Either way. A promise was a promise. And he wouldn't allow that promise to be put in jeopardy, despite how he felt like doing so at this moment in time.

A scream from down by the lake. A young girl's scream.

Was it her? It didn't matter.

He was up and running. Trees and leaves and branches whisked past like nothing as he ran towards the sound, trying to ignore his own fears.

_It could have been her. And I could have been too late._

Kasumi was there, clenching a bloodied tanto, eyes large and determined and defined in her pale skin. Nearby lay the bodies of several ninja; he recognised the Mugen-Tenshin crest on their attire. And nearby that lay the body of a young girl, not more then five or six. Judging by the basket that lay strewn carelessly on the ground beside her, she had been picking flowers shortly before her death.

Not now. Now, she was lying in a pool of her own blood, sword blade imbedded in her chest. Now, she was staring glassily up at the sky, blue orbs wide and unseeing.

Now, she was dead. He had been too late.

Kasumi glanced up at him, eyes flickering to the young girl's corpse. Sadness crossed her face, sadness so deep that for one split second, he wanted to stand by her and hug her and chase her fears away.

It didn't last long.

"Hayabusa-san."

Her tone was melancholy, all anger that she had directed to him earlier gone in the face of death. "She tried to protect me. They just pushed her aside and killed her as though she was nothing. What sort of monsters are my brethren turning into?"

"Monsters of necessity, Kasumi," he said, unconsciously taking a step closer to her. "Your brother's only doing what he feels he has to do."

He wasn't expecting her to suddenly fling her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly as though he were her one lifeline to sanity.

"I'm sick of this life I lead. I don't want to be the reason so many innocent lives are lost. I'm not worth that much."

He couldn't quite bring himself to return the embrace. Instead, he settled for awkwardly petting her on the head, like one would do to a stray puppy that one wasn't sure where it had been.

Large amber eyes stared up at him, visible emotion in their depths.

"Hayabusa-san…" she started, before turning away, dropping her arms from around his waist. To his surprise, her eyes were dark with unshed tears.

He tried to ignore the tears. He wouldn't know how to comfort her if she cried; it was better to just pretend that they didn't exist at all. "Yes, Kasumi?"

"I… I… I think I…"

She seemed extremely nervous, a far contrast from her usual merry, happy-go-lucky nature. Something was definitely amiss.

"What is it, Kasumi? We can't stay here all day."

She flinched at his words. A single tear trickled down her cheek. And he still didn't know what on earth was wrong.

"Don't worry. We should move off now."

* * *


	15. I'm falling in love with you

I've just realised this story has been going on for over a year. I think that means I ought to wrap it up sometime in the near future. -Sheepish grin-

Hope you enjoy the chapter!

* * *

She had been so close. So darned close.

But he was still too cold. It was ridiculous to think that he would have changed just because she had finally accepted her own feelings. That was just stupid of her.

And yet, no matter how she wanted to, she couldn't blame it on him. It wasn't his fault that he didn't love her. It wasn't his fault he was so cold. What had he said to her? Monsters of necessity? Yes, that was it. Hayabusa hadn't become who and what he was because he had wanted to, surely. No doubt it was another of these 'monsters of necessity'. Things that had to happen, whether they were wanted or not.

Before he could speak, she walked off, hoping he wouldn't mention anything. Unfortunately for her, the one time she didn't want his concern was the one time he gave it.

"Are you alright, Kasumi?"

"Yes, yes. Come on. We can't stay here all day, you said so yourself. Did you not?"

Eyes of jade had, by this stage, thawed enough to give her a rare and genuinely concerned expression. "Are you sure?"

She brushed the tears off her cheeks with an almost angry gesture. "Of course I'm fine, Hayabusa-san. Now let's go." She turned around, getting ready to leave.

"Kasumi…"

The almost pleading tone, so uncharacteristic of the Hayabusa she knew, persuaded her to turn around. "What is it, Hayabusa-san?"

He seemed uncomfortable. More specifically, out of his comfort zone. Noticeably.

"I know that you probably wouldn't wish to confide in me, but… if you ever need anybody to talk to, I promise you that I will… I will be there to listen."

She hesitated. Granted, she believed him. Well and truly. Hayabusa never had been one to break promises, and she had no doubt that he would keep this one.

There was just one slight thing.

"Hayabusa-san, don't get me wrong. I really appreciate it. However, I doubt you'll want to know what's bothering me most right now. Thanks anyway."

Slightest shadowing of confusion. "I'm sorry, Kasumi; I don't understand."

"I'm falling in love with you."

The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them, less emotional then she would have expected. In fact, the only emotion they seemed to hold was sheer neutrality, which mentally surprised her.

Had the situation been less serious, she would have laughed out loud at Hayabusa's shock.

"So, yes. Hence why I didn't want to tell you. Anyway. We have a whole hoard of assassins waiting for us, so why don't we head off now?"

Before he could say anything, which, judging by his expression, he was about to; she collected her things and walked off, sticks and bracken snapping underneath her tread.


	16. Hayate

I'm feeling so terribly guilty about the lack of updates! But if you murder me, then there will be no new chapters ever, so…

Uh… just enjoy, please?

* * *

She loved him? That explained some things. But left so many more questions unanswered. 

She had hidden it well enough. If she hadn't told him, he never would have realised.

Or maybe he was just too wrapped up in his own problems to realise, and she hadn't been hiding it after all.

Kasumi loved _him. _He found it hard to believe. Simply because he couldn't understand why.

But that was something he would have to ponder over later. Now certainly wasn't the time.

Now certainly—

He cursed under his breath. Assassins wandering around, and he had let her just walk off.

_Number one way to get your best friend's sister killed, Ryu. Nicely done._

She could look after herself. He didn't doubt that one bit. She had more than proved that to him in the second tournament. Even thinking about the defeat he could easily have suffered had he not been careful brought the slightest of grimaces to his face.

But then again. The assassins after him… weren't quite the same. Certainly not acting under the same system of honour. The only thing they cared about was the kill, not how they killed.

And again. He was standing there, pondering, letting her get further ahead.

He broke into a run after her. Angry kunoichi or not, he'd prefer her angry over being dead simply because of his carelessness.

"You cannot defeat me."

He approached in time to see her bring the last ninja down with a flurry of punches and kicks, before a neat stab with her tanto.

She sheathed her tanto, bending down and shutting the ninjas' eyes before straightening again. "Hayate Nii-san. If you truly want to see me dead, then you should send more skilled warriors. I don't like doing this, but you leave me no choice."

"No, you have left _me _no choice, Kasumi."

He froze. She stiffened. They both knew that voice far too well.

They hadn't been expecting it, either of them. How foolish were they?

"…Hayate."

* * *

To the anonymous reviewer who informed me that this story had been marked as 'complete', thank you very much for letting me know. As I'm sure we all realise, this story is far from complete and as such, I have no idea _why _it was marked as complete. So, yes, thanks again for letting me know about that.


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